10 replies

I do not know how I stumbled on to this website, but I am so glad I did. This is great. I am one of those diabetics that is tired of being told you can't have that. My husband does not understand my diabetes, but along with everyone else they know how I am feeling and will tell me what I should do. They really do not know.

My family is a great source of support. After a Dr visit or my labs, I've always reqorted back to my daughters, who provide great support. They are adults with families of their own, and my grandchildren are great, as well, especially my granddaughter at the tender age of 10. I'm at her home riight now. She made a sandwich for me yesterday, started to hand it to me, then said, "Oh, wait Grammy, Did you take your pill, yet!" That is a good thing, as sometimes I tend to forget whether I've taken it. So, when I'm around her, she tensd to be my pill monitor, which I find rather endearing. I get the same from my daughters, as well, when I'm around them. They also will ask me if I've eaten lately, as sometimes I get focused on whatever it is that I'm doing and don't think about eating.

No matter how good they are at providing support, though, they can't possibly know how I feel. Only another Diabetic can! So, I guess for me its the situation and type of support I need at a given time.

My experience has been different. I have been Type One since I was 15. After years of me telling my parents and siblings that I didn't need any help, they finally started listening — right when I was falling apart the most. I struggled to find the motivation to check my sugars and only consistently took my basal insulin for years. My health was only so-so for a while and I decided to take charge. Then, about a year ago I met the most amazing man who has been an incredible source of motivation for me. He hasn't always been right, but he has always cared. His concern is refreshing and encouraging. I wonder if I could have felt the same way about all that my parents and sibling were trying to do if I had approached them with an open mind. Since we have been dating my A1c is better than it has been in at least 6 or 7 years, I've started exercising regularly again and I am back down to a pre-college weight!I agree that many people who think they know best are annoying, and I've dealt with quite a few in the last 16 years, but I know that my reception of their help has played a role in how they offered it…Keek

I guess it depends on the family.. My mom is a diabetic counselor, my MIL a nurse. My FIL has diabetes (as do my mom and MIL) and my husband grew up helping MIL while she was in nursing school, and is an EMT himself. When I got my first diagnosis they got me through, and the second time, I fell apart and never could have picked back up without tehir help and guidance (it was a gestational diagnosis first.. but my diabetes never went away and 2 months after I had my kiddo I got a type 2 diagnosis). My friends were the bossy ones, they had no idea what diabetes was about, and they tried to tell me what to do and how to do it.. They meant well, but it got old really fast.

I think it just depends on the family and the friends.. Experience, whether personal disgnosis or that of a loved one sure seems to set the tone though.

Why would you say that? Every family members knows what you should eat, what you shouldn't eat, what is best for you, what doctors to see and when, what to do when your BS is high, what to do when your BS is low, how many times you should be testing your BS and when…Wait a minute, you are right, they don't know! :)